Slow Me Down
by Lrihgo
Summary: Things change, fact of life. Akio is just finishing up his junior year. When things start getting hard, he still finds the will to fight through everything, just for her. Akio x Sanae -prequel- Rating is planned to go up later.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hello there! Lrihgo here. Thank you for checking out this fic! I just adore Clannad too much to comprehend and there was absolutely... one hundred percent... ZERO Akio x Sanae fanfictions. I was appalled and immediately got writing on an actual chapter-based fic. Not a one shot. Not a collection of random drabbles, but a story. I was kind of intimidated to start, but I have it planned out and I'm careful about writing it.

This is a prequel to the series, obviously, so hopefully it lives up to the series ahead. I'm very well aware that ages are a bit weird in this, but seeming how most of them are just a few years apart in the actual series, I changed things around just a bit, but hopefully isn't not too noticeable or distracts from the storytelling. This will be strictly Akio's POV and I have about six chapters written so far. I tried making it as Clannad-y as possible and realistic as well as keeping everyone in character, so please, please do take the time to **review** once you've finished reading and show your love for Nagisa's parents!

If you haven't watched the whole series, some parts may be a bit confusing to understand at first, but for those who have seen it, extra points to you! I might even be writing this all the way up to After Story, who knows? For now, please enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Clannad. I wish I did...

**Summary: **Things change, fact of life. Akio is just finishing up his junior year. When things start getting hard, he still finds the will to fight through everything, for her.

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><p>Cold.<p>

Everywhere, miles of cold stretched on. A torrent of merciless snow rushed past him, though it wasn't anything more than a soft shed of ice outside. He rushed through the way at blinding speed, panic raging through his being. His legs felt numb and frigid air assaulted his lungs, carving gaping chills throughout his whole body. His mouth was dry and every part of him ached. He panted hoarsely and found it difficult to breathe.

He didn't know where he was going and why. He couldn't see anything but white around him. He was running endlessly without an answer, and for some reason, though he didn't know where he was going, he was scared he wouldn't get there in time. He tried to push his body beyond its breaking points, but was held back against every fiber of his being as his physical state struggled to keep up with his mind.

Was he not strong enough to drive himself harder? He had to wonder.

What was going on?

Furukawa Akio turned in his futon, surprised by the airy light that goaded him from his sleep. Though the room was warmed from the floor up, he still felt a chilling presence dominate his senses. He sat up, running a hand through his unruly coppery locks, the petrifaction of his nightmare slowly wearing off. He was out of breath and it took him a minute for his body to catch up with his lungs' requirements.

He relaxed his hands behind his body and leaned onto them, legs stretching out in front of him as he pondered the ceiling. Numerous questions filled his brain and a yawn animated his features. A wondrous smell wafted across his senses and his mouth watered. All seemed a slow morning until he glanced at his alarm clock, which hadn't gone off at the correct time it should have. With a long, long stare at its blaring red numbers, he finally registered that he was going to be late.

He yelped in surprise and rose to rush into the bathroom until the futon under foot gave out as he tried to push off of it. He fell face first to the boarded floor of the hallway.

"Oh, you're finally up, Akio-kun?" A voice sounded as it left the bathroom, a snicker about it.

The young man glanced up at his grandfather and struggled to his feet. "A-ah! Grandpa, good morning!" Without waiting for a response, he threw himself into the bathroom and was out less than a minute later, teeth and hair brushed. He ran back to his room to jump into a uniform.

The older man laughed at the display. "Breakfast is ready, skipping isn't an option, see you there!"

Now, no matter the situation _ever, _Akio never skipped a meal. The world could be crumbling in and giant monsters could be shooting laser beams through their eyes and burning everything down and his grandparents wouldn't let him run away until he had his meals. Even when he sat and tried to stuff his face as quickly as possible, every time, he'd be awarded with a knock on the back of the head with his grandmother's favorite wok. Granted, he'd spit his food back up and would have to start from the beginning with a lecture he'd memorized by now.

"If you don't eat your food slow, it won't know where to go and it'll start cultivating in that brain of your's!" His grandmother would say, and continue on about growing up and becoming strong. His grandfather would sit back and stuff his pipe nonchalantly with tobacco, because not even he listened to her anymore.

After a quick thanks for the meal, Akio was off and out of the door. Down the sidewalk, he always found the slightly impatient Yoshino Yusuke waiting for him. With a large grin, he waved at his friend. "Morning!" Akio greeted with the usual. Yusuke shrugged and began walking along as soon as the taller man caught up.

It took a bit for conversation to be started up, since Akio was long since out of breath. They always found something to talk about, whether it was Yusuke's music or maybe the new installment of Gundam that had aired the week before or new ideas for fundraising with the approaching school festival. Junior year was almost over, and though it went unspoken, both students were looking forward to the challenges of finishing the year out strong in their little friendly rivalry.

"I got a gig at the café down the street from Ishino-kun's house." Yusuke announced like it wasn't a big deal, and Akio always had to find something to counter him with.

"When is that going to be coming up?" He inquired offhandedly, his stunning amber eyes wandering.

"Next week, on Sunday."

"Ah, that's pretty cool. I've got a pretty big Theatre Club rehearsal that day. Maybe we can work out times, I guess I can drop by and see you."

"That's funny, I wouldn't do that for you." Yusuke said half to himself.

Akio gritted his teeth and put on a fake smile, reaching up dramatically to take the smaller man by the neck and pulling him into what would appear a friendly gesture, had it not been so forced. He gave a booming laugh. "Ah well, you know! Trivial things keep you busy, I mean, hey! Even I can pick up a guitar and pluck a few notes, eh?" He raised his book bag to his chest after letting him go and pretended it was a guitar, rewarding him a roll of Yusuke's eyes. "Too bad you can't realize the true importance of taking the identity of an idea on paper and making it come to life on a stage, such a shame too! I'd think that much more important over a few high notes and a swish of hair, don't ya think?"

Yusuke gave a small laugh in return, though it was genuinely sour. "Acting over music? Music makes acting come to life; don't you think films would be boring without it? Don't forget that the first motion pictures didn't have actor's voices, just music playing in the background. All actors had to do was throw their body around in over exaggeration, I don't think that takes skill at all."

Akio laughed sarcastically, a twitch at his eye. "Why, you…" he murmured as the last slope of the hill came and their school was in view. With the sun rising behind them, the illuminating cherry blossom trees made their reaches towards the skies, their newly sprouted petals raining across the wind sparingly and with absolute grace.

An air of ease washed over all that arrived, and it was stunning to behold. He stopped at the stoop of the hill and took a glance backwards, the endless stretch of trees they climbed seeming to hold up the town that was dotted above it. When he glanced off into the trees of the outback, he could think of nothing else but the white swirls of suffocation that held him hostage in his sleep. Yusuke had long stopped to peer questioningly at his friend.

"Something wrong?" His inquiry tore him from his deep thoughts.

"Ah, it's nothing. I was just wondering if I could come over after school." He covered as he turned back to his azure-haired friend, awarding him a shrug of the other's shoulders.

"Why not?" He continued to walk on, deciding not to delve further into Akio's spacey behavior.

The other guys greeted the two as they passed through gates and onto the campus. They had a fun little group they hung out with; they were the most outgoing people in school. They were all open with each other and they had the best of times. They were all about the fun of now while keeping in line as the good kids. Generally, they were well liked and everything seemed so easy. It was days like this when Akio walked with his friends and watched them with a smile as they teased each other and fought over who had the better bento and realized that things were good.

Everything seemed so small now, so simplistic, that Akio couldn't find himself not making the most out of the tiny things while they were, well, small.

The group made their way to class and gathered around the seats in the back, breaking off into idle conversation as the class filled. Akio engaged himself immediately in a "who would win versus who" fight concerning some of the boys' favorite Gundam characters. He didn't realize how much he had gotten into it, because before he knew it, he was standing with one leg up on a chair while furiously animating the battle, almost shouting. "So a malfunction would result in the loss of your loser bishounen wanna-be because he wants to get cocky and try to use his ultimate weapon when the situation calls for more strategy!" And with a cross of his arms and a satisfied series of nods, a small round of applause was given to him.

"Now that's nice, Furukawa-san, but class has started, so please take a seat…" The homeroom teacher interrupted as he was about to continue on with his reason, awarding him some laughter from his classmates. Since he wasn't the type to get embarrassed easily, he enthusiastically took his seat with a thumbs up.

"Go sensei!" Akio cheered as he began to take roll, another wave of laughter flowing through the students. The teacher rolled his eyes, seeming to be embarrassed in turn and continued on with roll.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Hello! Thank you for checking out this fic! I'm posting the first two chapters right away to see what kind of feedback I get, so please tell me what you think and whether or not I should continue to post my chapters. I usually don't fish for reviews at all, but please do take the time! Thanks again!

**Disclaimer:** Clannad. Not. Mine. D:

**Chapter edit:** Out of a list of at least 500 Japanese surnames, I chose Miyazawa for Sanae's last name... then I realized that Yukine's last name is Miyazawa! I can't believe it! So I'm reuploading this chapter because I changed her last name.

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><p>During the lunch hour as everyone was finishing up their food, Akio had an absolutely brilliant idea as he glanced out to the track next to where they ate lunch. He glanced at a dark haired boy that was closing his bento box satisfyingly. "Hey, Fujibayashi-kun, you got a good arm, don't you?" He tried to pull of casually, but it came off as plotting.<p>

"Uh… yeah, sure. I don't pitch often for the baseball team, but I've had some practice at it. Why?"

Akio grinned. "Well, how 'bout you pitch a few to me, huh?"

The boy blinked, his violet eyes narrowing the slightest bit. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. I wouldn't want people messing with my equipment without my knowing."

"Well, you're on the baseball team, so they practically do know! C'mon, just a few pitches! I'm aching to be moving right now!" He stood and began stretching energetically. The other guys also agreed to running a small game.

"Yeah, I'm sure they wouldn't mind," the Sakagami boy offered.

And like that, they were set up in a mock game. There were a few in the outfield and some makeshift bases spread out. Whoever wanted to bat would go and there was on specific order to anything. It was random nonsense like this that kept things moving and the boys entertained.

"Oi, Fujibayashi-kun, you sure are modest, huh? But I've seen better pitches from the grade schoolers down the street from my house!" Akio commented as he stepped up to the plate for a third time. While the other boy shrugged and prepared for another pitch, Akio rolled his shoulders, picking up the bat to point it out into the way, over the trees. "Watch this, guys! It'll be like right out of some awesome movie!" He readied the bat over his shoulders and he concentrated on the pitcher. From here, he knew nothing but that ball.

Fujibayashi Shiki grinned, whispering to himself, "Modest, hm, Furukawa-kun?" He, in turn, zoned everything else out but the batter. He began a legendary three sixty wind, his knee coming up to his chest as he summoned all the power of the earth to his arm.

"No way, that's the one and only Supreme Kill Shot Point-Blank Caliber Elite pitch!" The boys stopped to muse in the epicosity of the moment. This was no longer a game.

"No, Akio-kun, don't die!" Yusuke shouted.

The ball came flying before Akio knew it, and he was impressed with the force of the pitch. But it was still no match for him. "GOOOOOAAAALLLLLLL!" He gave his war cry as he swung out to hit the mark and a crack split the sky as the ball went flying.

The boys watched with amazement as the ball flew overhead. But instead of towards the trees, as it was intended to go, it flew straight towards the school building and immediately, dread settled within all of them. Akio dropped his bat in surprise, not bothering to run for a base.

Sure enough, the crash of glass was evident, and before Akio could even think, all the boys were running off the field and collecting their things to return to class. "Good luck, Furukawa-kun! It was your idea, we weren't here!" They chimed as they ran away.

"D-damn!" He began to collect his things as well, but he knew consequences would be wider if no one manned up and claimed the ball. He really, _really_ didn't want to deal with it, but he was confident he could sweet talk himself out of it… somehow.

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><p>Akio sheepishly slid the door open to the Art Club's room, already finding the scene to be occupied by several students. They were cleaning the mess up, and for a second, he thought of skipping out. He whistled as he slowly closed the door, already searching for his escape. He didn't know this building very well at all…<p>

"Oh, do you think he's a perv?"

"What's he doing?"

"Wait… is that the Theatre Club's Furukawa Akio-san?" Akio froze. He turned to a group of girls who were checking out the commotion.

He straightened up and laughed, giving a confident wave, cursing the challenge of keeping up his constant cool-guy gimmick. They paused as he addressed them.

"Excuse me? But what's going on here?" He turned to find a curious looking girl with short, shining brown hair and matching eyes. Her brows were furrowed and she had a look of genuine concern on her fair face. He recognized her as the Art Club's own Ibuki Kouku. Now he was really caught.

"Uh…" Akio's eyes wandered back to the clubroom door, still at a loss of words. "It… looks like some crazy kids were playing some ball and a fly one accidentally crashed through one of the windows here! I-if you ask me, it's really quite naïve, although forgivable and can be dealt with calmly!" He smiled, awarding him a questioning glance. He was going to Hell.

"Oh, well…" She seemed to ponder the situation. "I guess it can't be helped," she murmured, and a mountain of relief showered onto him as he let out a sigh. But, he still felt guilty.

"Say, why don't I give you guys a hand real quick?" He rubbed the back of his head with a smile.

Kouku peered at him searchingly, but otherwise mirrored his smile. "That'd be great."

They both went in and assessed the damage, a twitch at one of Akio's eyes. Sure enough, the ball sat at a corner of the room and glass was everywhere. And he felt even worse that the students in the room were eating their lunches and probably panicked when the ball hit its mark. And on top of that, one of the paintings had been knocked down by the force of the ball and broken in half. Yeah. He felt like crap.

"Wow, this is quite a mess…" Kouku commented. One of the girls in the room who was obviously a first-hand witness came up to her.

"Ibuki-san! We don't know who it was, but we saw a bunch of boys running from the field when we looked out to see where it came from!" The girl's eyes slid onto him for a second and he stiffened. She just glanced back at Kouku without a second thought to him.

"Well, everything will be just fine, we can use some gloves and brooms from the janitors," she began.

"And I'll go get some teachers!" Akio suggested. He couldn't help but think of how this would handle out.

Kouku turned to him, a thoughtful look clouding her face. "Good idea, and I'll go talk to the janitors. For now, everyone, just sit tight and try to enjoy the rest of your lunch. This mess will be cleaned up by the end of the day, so we'll have a club meeting tomorrow in place of today." She announced to the awaiting students, and they nodded. With that, both Kouku and Akio excused themselves to carry out their promised tasks.

"Ah, well, sorry about this whole mess, Ibuki-san." Akio said sheepishly. She turned to blink at him.

"You make it sound like you're responsible." She noted, and he realized his mistake with a murmured 'crap!' But she didn't seem to notice, though. "Thank you for the help, though." She paused. "I don't believe I've caught your name."

"Oh! I'm Furukawa Akio, from class 1-C!" He smirked, realizing he was let off easy.

"You already seem to know me, but I'm Ibuki Kouku, from class 2-B." She bowed slightly and smiled. "I guess I'll be seeing you around!" She waved and left and he returned with a bow of his own.

He sighed to himself. "This is too tough, I mean, it wasn't even really my fault!" He began to confide with himself, his arms crossing as he looked after the retreating form of Kouku. Footsteps sounded behind him, but he didn't take notice.

"The guys should have said something about Fujibayashi-kun's secret hidden techniques, it wasn't my fault entirely. Though I guess I did kind of bring it up…" He sighed, a long, drawn sound. "Maybe if I shouted 'win-win, team!' instead of 'goal!', my channels of strength would have sent the ball flying in the other direction." He clenched his fist. What a silly mistake, indeed!

"So you're the one responsible?"

Akio froze and an overwhelming feeling of dread filled him. He turned against the protest of every bone in his body that was telling him to run. He felt a chilled sweat begin at the back of his neck. His eyes slid to over his shoulder, and everything stopped.

_Cold. Everywhere there was cold._

He blinked his eyes, removing the images from his conscious as he glanced dumbly upon his eavesdropper.

She stood smiling, an amazing grace lighting her features in an unrealistically angelic aura. Long, cascading auburn locks delicately lined her fair complexion and ran down her back. Two stray strands of hair rebelliously curved above the rest of her hair, curling outward almost artistically.

At his silence, her smile faded just the tiniest bit and she opened her eyes to glance upon him with strikingly matching soft brown eyes. She tilted her head and crossed her hands in front of her, a curious blink at her eyes.

He swallowed hard, feeling weak in the knees as furious thoughts carved through him. He attempted to straighten himself up, realizing that she might think him some sort of freak for gawking at her for what felt like hours. He went to open his mouth and noticed how dry it was.

He was falling apart then and there, because if anything, he _never _got tongue-tied. He was cocky, fun-loving, bold, clean attitude— the whole package!— but he had never been the one to _not _know what to say, especially if the situation called for so simple an answer. Isn't not that he wasn't able to respond for being caught red-handed, he always had an excuse for the most unique of times, it was that he just simply couldn't gather words to say without suddenly feeling so self-conscious. For a second, he wondered if he belonged in this world, standing before this girl he didn't even know. Why did he think such things so suddenly? He had no clue.

"Are you alright?" She inquired through his thoughts, her smile now completely gone.

With a genuine look of concern and a slight taint of worry in those wondrous eyes, he felt like he had committed multiple atrocities for making that smile disappear. He turned away stiffly, crouching over to regain himself. He allowed a sigh and he patted both of his cheeks encouragingly. With a final clench of his fist and little motivational speech, he stood again and pivoted on his feet to face her again, hands at his hips .

"Sweet bean bread!" He waved at her and nearly died as he realized his mistake. She tilted her head in shrouding confusion. He froze. _DAMMIT! You idiot! Why food, after all this time?_

Akio wasn't able to say much more after that. And to his surprise, she laughed. It was a lulling sound, like bells on a cool spring morning. His shoulders drooped and a hand went to the back of his head. He really did feel like an idiot, now. But maybe he had his chance at redemption!

"I'm… yeah, right, I'm fine!" He said with a weak smile. What a comeback. Not.

She finished with lingering giggles as she glanced upon him, a dust of red at her cheeks and a hand covering her lips. His brows furrowed slightly and his smile widened. _Man, she's really cute._

"That's good to hear! I was just heading over to find my friend, Ibuki Kouku, maybe you've seen her?" Her full-on smile had returned and he felt infinitely better, forgetting that he had ever made an idiot of himself.

"She'll be back pretty soon if you hang around." His hand dropped to his side and he shoved them both in his pockets, his eyes finally wondering from her angelic figure.

"Oh, alright! I heard about what happened here, so I headed right over." She continued, and he wondered how news could spread so fast. Then he remembered that he blew his cover just minutes before and he jumped.

"Y-you won't tell, will you?" He desperately awaited her reply, which was small in comparison to his outburst.

"Of course I won't. You don't have to worry about it." He sighed in relief.

"Thank you so much!" He chuckled a bit, shrugging his shoulders while he was at it. "I-I'm Furukawa Akio, by the way! From class uh…" Why did he have to think about this? He barely said it before Kouku left! "Class 1-C!" He bowed at a slight angle. Her smile blinded him as he looked up at her.

"Well, Mr. Star Athlete Furukawa-kun, I'm Matsuya Sanae, from class 2-B. It's very nice to meet you." She laughed softly, probably in remembrance of his first words. Akio tried not to stare. No really, he did. But he failed.

"I-I've got to go get some teachers, and Ibuki-san will be back soon, so I guess I'll see you later, maybe?" He felt like he was walking away from something he'd never see again for some reason.

"Of course! I'll see you," Sanae smiled, stringing her arms behind her back with a small bow. He stepped away with a wave and was on his way, but not without a stolen look over his shoulder. He quickly snapped back forward when he saw her eyes still on him and didn't dare look again and only relaxed when he turned a corner.

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><p>"How did it go?" An uninterested-seeming Yusuke inquired as the two buddies were walking to Yusuke's house.<p>

"Don't act too excited," Akio murmured before continuing in a louder voice. "Well, the ball went straight through the Art Club's room, but I did get away easy by asking if I could help, so I guess it's alright for now. The teachers wanted to do a more thorough investigation, but it could have been anyone, from their point of view, so we're good unless they bring in some cool CSI team to sniff us out." His thoughts wondered off to being on a crime scene investigation television show; he didn't notice the pause from Yusuke.

"Best not hang around the track anymore." Yusuke added, concluding the day's events.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Hello! Thank you for those of you who checked out this story at least and have reviewed! I know this chapter is short, but after this, things start kicking in, so please stick with it and review if you have the time! It really makes my day. :)

**Disclaimer: **Sure, I can play with these characters all I want~ But.. they're not mine. And I'm not trying to sell them, okay?

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><p>The two boys sat around the knee-high table of the living room, watching a lame sitcom with too many toilet jokes. Akio chewed on the end of a toothpick, not registering the words of the actors any longer, but rather, watching the way they moved. Every shift of their body intrigued him, which is why he could keep watching. Yusuke was running out of patience and the antennae began to pick up strange signals and the screen went to static. He reached to turn it off with a click.<p>

Akio stretched his legs out and leaned back from the table, twirling the toothpick between his teeth. He thought about the day and wondered what it would bring for the future.

Yusuke studied him for a bit before reaching over into a drawer and pulling out a deck of cards. "You've been acting strange today, aside from your usual antics." He noted aloud. Akio pulled his eyes from the ceiling towards his friend.

"Have I? You're probably just imaging it." He shrugged. The dark haired boy started to shuffle the cards and Akio watched thoughtfully.

"There you go again," Yusuke pointed out as he dealt seven cards each. Akio took his hand and lifted to cards to his eyes, ignoring his friend's statement. "You know, it could only be one thing." Yusuke continued as he flipped a card from the deck and laid it on the table. His amber eyes glanced at the lone card. He didn't need to look back at his hand as he picked two and tossed them to the side and drew two more.

"Love." Yusuke muttered and dropped his cards. Akio rolled his eyes and dropped his cards as well. He took the toothpick between his thumb and forefinger. From there, Yusuke went on about how love was the basis of all things blah blah blah. He usually did this. He was passionate about love but he had never really experienced it for himself. Usually, he would ask how he knew such extensive knowledge on it, but he always replied with 'I have my ways' and they both went on with life. Yusuke wrote a lot about love when it came to his songs, which Akio thought to be kind of sappy, but it got people to listen and relate.

Akio had time to make a house of cards by the time he was done. He glanced up when Yusuke had stopped speaking. He looked satisfied with himself, even though he wasn't listening. "Until you're ready to admit I'm right, Akio-kun, I'll be here." Yusuke finished and he crossed his arms, eyes closed.

"Right…"

With the school festival coming up, Akio saw less and less of his friends as he prepared for the Theatre Club's performance over the next few days. Anytime he was free to hang out, they, in turn, were busy with their own clubs. Even Yusuke was organizing gigs and performances for his band. It was a busy rest of the week as everyone seemed to step over each others' toes in a scramble to get things done. Even on Sunday, Akio practiced hard with stage directions and filling his part in the play they were going to perform.

His head buzzed with pieces of memorized lines and even found himself starting to memorize the lines of his fellow actors and actresses. At the end of their practice session when everyone seemed exhausted, the club leader stepped forward, a senior boy with dark hair.

"It's alright everyone, good practice for today. Give yourselves the rest of the day and tomorrow to rest. It's starting to look very good." Everyone nodded and slowly started leaving.

Akio drank from his water bottle as he glanced around the area they had decided to meet for practice, a parking lot just a few blocks from his house. The sun was just barely starting to set. He collected his bags and was ready to head over to the café that Yusuke would be having his gig at when the club leader approached him.

"Good work today, Furukawa-kun." Akio looked up in surprise at the senior and stood with a bow.

"Ah, thank you, Ishino-senpai. I wouldn't be able to do it without you, though. Your direction is amazing." His words were true. He was honored to be in the Theatre Club because of the organization of Ishino Kazuto and support that their club advisor gave. These were some of the best times for him, practicing the feeling of being in a different world and becoming a part of a dream.

Kazuto smiled in turn. "Thank you, Furukawa-kun." There was a bit of a pause after and Akio made a bit of a shift to gather his things. "Sorry to hold you up, but I was wondering," Kazuto continued. "well, I'm a senior and I'll be going onto a university after this last performance…" Akio looked towards his words, giving a nod. Would the club be the same without Ishino? He was always hated change and it saddened him to know that he wouldn't be here forever, relishing in these wonderful times.

"Furukawa-kun, I wanted to know if you would like run the Theatre Club after I leave." Kazuto bowed as he asked this of Akio, who was now deadpan shocked. Him? Run the club? His eyes widened to twice their size and his heart stopped. "Please, Furukawa-kun, I can't imagine leaving the club in better hands than your own! I would be very relieved to know I will be leaving with you in charge. You're such a hard worker and the club means a lot to you and already you're a great leader and you're a great actor, maybe even better than me. The others agree that you are a suitable choice and they all enjoy working with you! So please, continue on with the club in leading it!"

There was a stretch of silence between the two boys. Kazuto glanced up at Akio from his clenched eyes and found a thoughtful look on his face. Akio smiled slowly, unbelieving to the offer. "I… I won't disappoint you." He said finally. He really didn't need a moment to think about it, but the idea was so unreal that it surprised him. Relieve was evident in Kazuto's eyes. The older boy reached up and placed his hands on either of Akio's shoulders.

"Thank you so much, Furukawa-kun." He said, and in turn, Akio raised one of his hands to settle it on the boy's right shoulder.

"Thank you for considering me, Ishino-senpai. We'll miss you when you're gone." He swallowed hard, not realizing how quick the years had been in the club, how quick they passed since he had first joined and now the thought of those memories slipping away put a knot in his throat and the corners of his eyes burned with tears. Hell, next year was his last and then this would be him passing on the club to someone else.

Things happened so fast.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hello! Thank you for checking this story out! I was satisfied to see that my hits doubled, so that's great! Starting with this chapter, things pick up.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Clannad. I do own some of the minor characters. I can't be credited with these brilliant characters! I only hope to bring them justice!

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><p>He didn't realize how popular Yusuke was, exactly. When his friend had told him he had told a few people about his gig, he didn't realize that the <em>whole school <em>practically knew about it. The café on the corner of the street was a likely place for high schoolers to hang out, but never like _this._ He almost thought he was in the wrong place when he saw a crowd of people fighting to get into the doors. He had seen some of the band members carrying stuff into the back and he followed their trail. Sure enough, he found Yusuke just before the door tuning his guitar.

"Hey, quite the crowd out there!" Akio greeted. Yusuke peaked up at him and snorted.

"It's nothing." He murmured and did a full strum of the strings, the traveling length of the waves absolutely equal.

"Looks like you're going to be busy tonight. Think I can get in through here? There's no way I'm losing a limb to get through the doors." Akio walked in and threw his things down without an answer. He stretched and glanced around. The back of the stage was rather dark and the light from the setting sun outside didn't give it much lighting at all. He walked towards where the other members of the band were setting up the microphones and amps. His eyes trailed over the dark blue curtain that separated the set-up from the rest of the café.

He walked down the steps and out from the back of the curtain towards the rest of the café. Tables dotted the hard floor and many people were starting to take their seats, an excited chatter filling the air. He could pick up bits and pieces of the conversations as he walked by.

"Yoshino-senpai is so cool!"

"I can't wait to hear him sing!"

"I've heard him play guitar before during lunch, he looked so peaceful!"

"What if he gets famous? That'd be amazing!"

"I bet he will!"

Akio smiled to himself, pleased that Yusuke had all this recognition that he deserved. Though he and his friend sarcastically remarked on each other often, they really did care about one another and would do anything for each other if ever asked. They were truly loyal to one another. It was moments like this that Akio was proud to be his friend.

He pulled up a chair that was off to the side and watched as waiters and waitresses desperately flew around to fill the business that Yusuke had brought them. Usually, he was so outgoing and would engage himself in some of the familiar faces he saw, but he was so worn out from the day, he decided to play it cool. He gave the occasional wave to those who greeted him and even noticed a couple of girls blushing over in his direction. He smirked towards them and they turned away hastily.

Maybe he was popular, too? Having been friends with Yusuke, he didn't see why not. He reached over towards the long counter he was sitting near and grabbed a toothpick. He popped it in his mouth and his eyes wandered. They settled on two familiar ladies who were talking animatedly at one of the tables to his left. Ibuki Kouku and Matsuya Sanae. He clenched the toothpick in his teeth, shuffling in his seat.

A cook slid two dishes onto the counter he was sitting near and his eyes were drawn to it. The waiters and waitresses grabbed as many dishes as they could before passing him and delivering them to their designated tables. He glanced to his left and right as he stood and leaned to see the order number. It was to go to order 35. He looked towards Kouku and Sanae. He squinted his eyes to see the paper sign that had been propped up on the edge of the table.

Number 35.

He grabbed the plates before he could think and made his way over, swallowing a knot in his throat. He put on his most mischievously handsome smile before sliding the food onto the table. "Two orders of rice and curry," he said, both pairs of eyes settling on him.

"Oh, it's Furukawa-kun, hello! And thank you!" Kouku was first to say past the surprise. Sanae greeted and thanked him as well. He gave a small bow.

"Do you mind if I join you two?" He retreated when he placed the plates down, the smile still plastered on his face.

"I don't mind." Sanae said, returning his smile. Kouku agreed. With a sigh, he shifted the toothpick in his mouth to the side and smirked.

"Great! Thanks! It was getting hot over near all the food!" He sat next to Sanae as she scooted over to make room for him. "So, are you two here to see Yusuke-kun?"

"Yes! Do you know Yoshino-san?" Kouku replied as she picked up her spoon. Akio chuckled, realizing he _had _spoken of Yusuke closely.

"Yeah, me and him he are best friends. Crazy, huh?" Akio shuffled in his new seat, trying to get remotely comfortable next to Sanae. It was hard trying to be casual around her, strangely.

"That's weird, he doesn't mention you." Kouku thought and Akio froze. He leaned forward onto the table and inspected her. She didn't take notice in the gesture and began to dig into her curry.

"You know Yusuke-kun, too then?" He inquired.

She blinked up at him and blushed, her eyes going to Sanae for a second. "I do," she murmured. Akio gawked in disbelief after a stretch of silence. _That bastard! _He smiled, taping the table with his palm as he summoned another laugh.

"That's great. What a small world, huh?"

"Kouku-chan, I wasn't aware you knew Furukawa-kun, either!" Sanae intervened with a smile.

She smiled in turn. "Yes, I met him on the day the ball went crashing through the window of the Art Club."

Akio's eye twitched, but he kept wearing his smile. "Ah, I met him that day, as well! We must have missed each other narrowly!" He glanced over at Sanae, relieved that she seemed to still be keeping her promise of keeping quiet about the true perpetrator of the broken window. She didn't have any reason to, but she still did. She must have really been a kind person…

Sanae glanced over at him with that smile and he blinked and looked away. "Indeed, what a small world. Anyway, I was back there and it looks like Yusuke-kun'll be ready soon, so go ahead and eat! Don't let me bother you!" He crossed his arms and rolled the toothpick between his teeth, silently cursing Yusuke. _Who is Ibuki-san to you, Yusuke? And why the hell didn't I know about her?_

Just a few minutes later of idle chatter, the curtains to the stage flew open and wild applause overtook the crowd as everyone stopped what they were doing. Akio couldn't help but think how cool Yusuke looked, standing in the spotlight with his guitar as he snatched the microphone from the stand, the band behind him looking equally as cool. He was surprised to find that Yusuke's eyes went straight to his direction. A bit of shock lined his friend's usually collected expression but it quickly disappeared. Kouku waved and cheered and Sanae joined her enthusiastically. Akio kept his arms crossed but nodded in his direction. He turned in his seat and leaned away from the table.

After a long pause, which would have appeared to be to a wait for the crowd's cheering to go down, but Akio knew millions of thoughts were running through Yusuke's head, his friend continued on with the program. "We're Chromatic Rising and thank you for coming out to see us!" He said confidently, and with a nod to the drummer, they were counted off into a strong hit of sound.

He had heard Yusuke play before and rehearse with his band friends, but he never heard him sounding like _this._ His eyes widened slightly as his ears picked up the face-paced progression. With a strong slam on his guitar, Yusuke was singing and the girls were swooning.

Of course, it was one of those love songs, but he couldn't describe it as sappy when he was standing in the middle of that stage, owning the café in his confidence, singing his heart out. He was really damn confused, but the performance was amazing. Where the hell did this all come from? His eyes slid to his right at Kouku, who seemed to modestly be enjoying the performance, swaying to the beats. How long had she known him for? Where did she meet him? She made it seem like they talked often, yet Akio was almost always with Yusuke. Most of all, though, Yusuke didn't mention him! He felt… betrayed, almost.

His azure-haired friend sure was going to get it after.

For now, he cheered and when the song let loose, he was first to stand and yell at the top of his lungs, "OI, YUSUKE-KUN, SHOW 'EM WHO'S BOSS! SLAY THOSE WOMEN!" Akio could barely see the man shake his head before giving the signal to start the next song, a slow but catchy melody about it.

Akio sat down, satisfied, as he watched them perform the next song. But then he realized he made an idiot of himself, again, in front of Sanae. He turned slowly to glance at her over his shoulder. She was laughing softly and he was relieved. She leaned over to whisper something to Kouku and as both of their eyes met his, his attention snapped forward. He crunched the toothpick in his mouth in half.

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><p>The café was slowly clearing out when Yusuke had finished the show, many satisfied costumers chatting about the band and the food. Akio had come to stand by the exit, arms behind his head, as he watched Yusuke speak to a couple of his newly-found fans. He raised one of his eyebrows as a girl pushed a piece of paper towards him and he signed it hesitantly. He scoffed softly, a bit of a smirk at his lips. Only until tonight, did he realize how distant Yusuke was from him. Sure, they hung out every day, but tonight, as he saw him singing to what felt like the stars, he saw how different they were.<p>

Yusuke was a musician, he was an actor. What they wanted to do was totally split. One day, they'd come to a fork in the road they've gone down together and walk their separate ways. He knew it was inevitable, and he hated it. His arms slid down and he crossed them. When Yusuke would get deeper and deeper into what he wanted to do, he wouldn't see him so much, just like this past week. He, in turn, would be running the Theatre Club next year and he wouldn't have as much free time as he found himself with this year.

He realized that from that week, it was training for what was to come. Whether he liked it or not, this wasn't middle school anymore; it wasn't general. There was so much to do out there and he was slipping away from him. Before they knew it, would they be taking care of their own individual business and not even come to think about hanging out again?

Everything happened too fast. This realization came from nowhere, and he hated it. He hated it but respected it at the same time, he had come to.

He watched silently as a man in a suit approached Yusuke and the fans around him dispersed. They exchanged words and bowed to each other. Akio's eyes slit as he struggled to see from here. It looked as though the man gave Yusuke a card or something. With that, the man left and headed his direction towards the exit. He answered his cell phone just before Akio and heard him say, "Yeah, he was great, really promising, I'll—" then he heard no more as the man passed through the doors. Akio released a tensed breath he wasn't aware he was holding.

He was about to get his things when he saw Kouku approach Yusuke next, patiently awaiting to the side for him to address the other girls. They talked and he swore he'd never seen Yusuke like _that _before. He had a stupid smile on his face and he rubbed the back of his head because Kouku must have said something embarrassing for him. He looked around for Sanae, but she wasn't in sight. He decided to bother Yusuke later as he slipped by and went backstage through the setting-down crew and grabbed his stuff. He slung his bag over his shoulder and stepped out into the cool night, feeling like he was leaving everything behind him as he stepped out of the door frame. He came out with an empty feeling, a strange sensation.

Sirens raced by and the night was still. He began to head homeward until he heard a choked sound to his right, just behind the café. It sounded like crying. He halted in his tracks. Curious, he headed over, stopping in his stride to stare upon a crouched Sanae.

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><p><strong>AN:** Agh! I love cliffhangers! Please review if you have the time and I'll find a good time to post the next chapter. I'm running a bit behind on writing, but I still have two whole chapters until these updates get longer in between posting times, but hopefully that won't happen. I'm in the last stretch of school for this year until summer, so I feel pretty ahead! I choice a good time to start writing this. :P Anyway, please do take a second to review!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Eeek! Thank you for the hits! But reviews do make me happier! :) Anyway, hopefully this has picked up to be a bit more interesting, especially with the cliffhangers! (Don't be mad, but spoiler alert: there's one at the end!) Please do take the time, even if it's just one worded! There's about a hundred hits and only one person's reviewed? Lame! Anyway, please enjoy! I'll post the next chapter soon!

**Disclaimer:** Okay, I own some characters, but not the ones that aren't mine... obviously.

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><p>His eyes widened in disbelief and he nearly ran out of raw instinct that threatened to take over. But he saw in the shrouding shadow made by the light pole just meters past her was a little boy, tears streaking down his face. He could barely see much else but the shine of the boy's tears. He felt his shoulders droop and he lowered his bag from his shoulder to his side, the weight suddenly trippling in size.<p>

"I-I was t-trying to follow, b-but there was too many people!" The little boy stumbled over his words as he attempted to explain himself through his shower of tears, his sobs uncontrolable.

"That's alright, you don't have to explain yourself," she returned softly, comforting to even him with the soft lull of her voice. She reached up and swiped the boy's hair from his face and in the same fluid motion, brushed a trail of tears from his cheek with her thumb. "How about this, Takuma-chan—do you mind if I call you that?" The little boy shook his dark-haired head and raised his hands to his face to hide his eyes. Akio smiled lightly, despite the sorrow the boy felt.

"How about we both go together and get you home? I'm sure your mommy's really worried about you and she didn't mean for you to get lost. And it's not your fault, it's no one's fault, and that's okay. I'm sure she has people looking for you right now, but the best place for you to go is home, you can't be ashamed of yourself because it happens to everyone." She chided warmly, causing the boys hands to drop slightly from his face. "Besides, this just means that you're a big boy, do you want to know why?" He couldn't see it, but he knew she was smiling.

"Why?" The boy asked smally as he pressed his palms to his face.

"When someone gets lost, what do they do first?" She returned with a question and her hands went to his shoulders.

"Stay in one place…" The boy looked down and crossed his arms in front of him, his eyes drawn down. The boy sniffed and huffed as he regained himself with the warming gestures she offered him.

"That's right, Takuma-chan, and because you know what to do, you're a big boy for being responsible, so don't feel embarrassed because you did the right thing, silly!" She poked him in his stomach and the boy laughed, still somewhat tearful, a hand coming to his face as he tried to cover his blush. "Let's get you home then, okay?" He nodded and she took his hand and stood. "Do you know where you live?"

The boy looked over and up at Akio with a shake of his head and a final swipe at his cheeks. Akio still stood and watched in amazement. Sanae glanced down at Takuma and followed his gray eyes to the boy standing at the other end of the walkway. The copper haired student put on a genuine smile. "Hey, you two." He didn't move from where he stood.

"It's Akio onii-chan." Takuma said towards Sanae and she tilted her head slightly.

"What're you doing on here, huh?" He walked over after what felt like forever and lifted a hand to pat it his little head. Sanae looked after him with surprise.

"I-I got lost, but it's okay, I'ma big boy!" Takuma laughed and tried to bat away Akio's hand that assaulted his hair. "But I dunno how to get home…"

"You don't? What about your big boy points, now, you just lost 'em!" Akio teased and kneeled down, using the boys head to prop himself up. Takuma fumed.

"I know where it is, I just don'… know how to get there." The boy looked down and Akio nodded as he stood back up.

"That's alright, you live just down a way from the park, remember?" The boy nodded and looked up at Sanae, who hadn't said a word. Akio glanced at her and noticed the thoughtful mask that shrouded her smile. She put a hand on his back encouragingly. Takuma blinked and nodded slowly, a smile on his round face. "Here, I'll carry you okay, little man? You look tired!"

Akio knelt down and offered his back to the boy. Takuma made his way over without hesitation and climbed onto the older one's back, stringing his stubby arms around his neck. Akio stood after wrapping his arms behind him and holding the boy from falling. "Ready to go?" He asked the boy and turned towards Sanae, shuffling to get a better hold of the boy and his bag. Akio felt like he kind of asked both of them, so after the boy's answer, he awaited her's.

He blinked as she returned his gaze for a long stretch of time. She reached up and tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear before smiling. He took a step towards where he was headed, eyes still on her, wondering if she would follow. And she did.

It didn't take long at all until Takuma was dozing off, an affectionate smile on Akio's lips while he walked in amiable silence with Sanae. He wondered at that moment what was going through her head. He had his own questions and concerns bottling through him as well. With each step, the itch in his brain to just _say _something increased more and more. Then the silence wasn't so pleasant anymore. He wasn't a master conversationist, but he knew he could do better than this. She disarmed him in every way and he felt defenseless to fight the charm of her smiles.

"I'd say it's a no-taker that you know young little Takuma-chan then?" She started first, much to his relief. Was she choosing her words carefully? She didn't have a reason to.

"Yeah, there's this place kids from the neighborhood go and play, just an area of trees and grass. There's usually grade schoolers there playing ball or something, and I usually join up." He murmured, calling upon the fun times he's had there.

"You must be very good with kids," she noted aloud softly. He swallowed nervously.

"I guess you could say that. Sometimes they have more sense than most adults." Akio found truth in his own words and reinforced them with a nod. She laughed at this, a sound he wouldn't mind hearing over and over again.

"That's true." She agreed silently once she had regained herself. He looked over at her past the sleeping Takuma.

"What about you? You like kids?" She crossed her arms at his inquiry, a gentle light of kindness blooming in her eyes that made his breath catch.

"I love kids. There are a million different things they can do to try and express themselves and they're so indirect but honest." Sanae returned, looking so at ease and graceful in the moonlight, he had to look away for staring so long. He smiled and glanced ahead, a small sound and nod of agreement animating him. How his heart fluttered like this, he'd never understand the true science behind it.

_Cold, cold snow, everywhere. Aching lungs and legs…_

Why was he thinking of that now? It had been days since he had had that nightmare. A car whizzed by steadily, beaming lights illuminating the way it carved. It was silent for a bit once again. Akio found it oddly comfortable, the patter of their feet making a lulling rhythm that soothed him into the slowing gears of the end of the day.

"I bet you're curious about Kouku-chan and Yoshino-kun." She said after a bit, causing his head to turn. He shuffled his shoulders and regained a better grip on Takuma. Did he even want to know about them? There must have been a good reason that Yusuke wasn't talking about her. Maybe it was nothing, maybe it was something big. If anything though, he'd want to hear it from him, but it hadn't happened yet. Maybe they've just been really busy? Maybe Yusuke wouldn't know what to say? Where to start?

"I am, but it's none of my business, so I'd rather wait and see what happens." Akio finished thoughtfully past the growing feeling of betrayal that settled like lead in his stomach.

Sanae was silent after a small, "Oh, I see."

"Um… so, Matsuya-san, are you in any clubs or sports?" He decided to ask next, already seeing Takuma's house in the distance. _Dammit, too soon!_ He couldn't see himself ever getting a chance to talk to her like this again and he'd screwed up by letting them sit in silence for most of the time.

"I'm in the Cooking Club!" She smiled and clasped her hands together. He drooled just thinking of what kind of stuff they make. He wondered what kind of bento she brought to school. It was probably filled with all sorts of colorful, tasty treats.

"Cooking Club, huh? That's really cool. Is it fun?" He was asking such trivial things now, but she made his head run clean out of nothing. There were so many things he wanted to ask that he couldn't put a finger on now.

"Most definitely! We're learning how to make all sorts of fun bread!" He didn't realize how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten tonight, but dinner was ready for him at home, for sure.

He chuckled heartily. "Bread, huh?"

"Mhm! It's my favorite to bake."

He stopped in front of Takuma's house with a smile. "Ah, here's our stop." He murmured before trying his best to glance back at the little boy. "Hey kid, you're home! Look at that. Too bad ya fell asleep on the way here, but don't worry, you'll know how to get home from wherever you are soon enough, even if you're on the moon!" Akio headed towards the door and Sanae smiled as she glanced after him.

"Wow, the moon?" Takuma murmured sleepily as he rubbed his eyes. Akio smiled and reassured him that he'd be the "boss big-man" one day and to just enjoy himself for now. The door shot open and numbers of worried family members reached Akio before he even got to ring the bell. He put the kid down and heartwarming reunions were made.

"Thank you so much for bringing my son back to me!" His mother chided, bowing deeply. "I'm in your debt." She started to talk about money paying money to him, but Akio refused.

"I didn't find him; it was Matsuya-san, here. I just knew where he lived," he had to say because he didn't feel right taking all the thanks when she was really the one at large. She received numerous thanks in turn and she modestly said it was nothing. It felt like hours before they were able to wish the family luck and continue on down the road, thanks still following them until they walked out of sight.

"Ah, that was rough!" Akio shuffled his shoulders, stiff from holding the small boy for so long.

"I'm so glad he got back, especially thankful that you were there, Furukawa-kun." She smiled at him and he felt heat rise in his cheeks.

"W-well, you know… I'm glad I was able to help out. I mean, you found him…" He cleared his throat and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Sorry to drag you along like this, though. You could be home by now," he added.

"Oh, it's alright. I live this direction anyway." She said off-handedly. Akio gasped.

"You do?" Why didn't he know about this?

"I thought you just knew where Takuma-chan lived, not that you lived just down the street from him." Sanae blinked over at him, a fair share of surprise taking her as well.

"Well yeah, I live right…" His sentence trailed off as they rounded the corner with scuffles of their shoes. The street was set ablaze with the flashing of red and blue siren lights. "Here."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Agh! I waited a long time to post this because I barely have the next chapter written, but I don't want to have you guys waiting any longer! X: I was crazy to say I had time to write! We just got done with AP testing, and those were the hardest weeks of my life. But now, things are clearing up a bit, so I promise I'll get the next chapter out soon! There's only one and a half weeks of school left, so do be patient! Thank you so much for checking this fic out and thank you chromatie, specifically, for sticking with me and reviewing. :)

**Disclaimer:** Clannad, I don't has.

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><p>Her gaze carried upwards to the commotion and concern lined her features. Akio continued to walk forward, forcing out the shock that tried to stiffen his limbs and he came to the wall of his home. He selfishly thought for a moment that it was someone else's problem, or at least hoped. But he was wrong. He came just in time for a paramedic to be telling him hastily to move aside as they carted out his grandfather.<p>

His eyes failed to follow the moving bed, the shock freezing him in place with disbelief. It felt like it took him forever to stare after the paramedics as they attached needles and various other instruments to him and a breathing mask as soon as they hauled him into the vehicle. His grandmother rushed out after them, carrying her bag with a worried look on her face.

"Oh, Akio-kun!" She sounded relieved to see him. "Th-there's just a little mishap with your grandfather, please don't worry about it. Stay here and watch the place, everything will be fine!" She ran after the paramedics and jumped into the back with them and before he knew it, they were off, sirens buzzing and the engine roaring. Things happened much too quickly.

He stared after where they left for a while, finally stepping out to glare down the street at the long gone emergency vehicle. He then remembered that Sanae was still standing there, out of the way. He crossed his arms, realizing how much he was shaking. A stagnant, breezeless air settled over them. He swallowed hard and forced his eyes onto Sanae, mixed emotions threatening to rip him into pieces at that moment. He forced himself to keep his expression straight, at least until she left his sight.

"I-I'm sorry, Furukawa-kun. Was that your grandfather?" He was surprised at how cracked her voice seemed. There was raw emotion in it.

"Y-yeah, but he'll be fine…" Hell, he didn't know crap about what had just happened. But for some reason, he felt the need to reassure _her _about his own situation. She seemed to be on the verge of—

Her face fell to her hands and stood with empowering dread taking over him as tears crossed her fingers and her shoulders wracked. His eyes widened and he froze with disbelief. It morphed into pure shock and she gave another sob. She was soft and graceful, even as she cried. Despite the absolutely horrifying image, he couldn't help but to give a choked laugh, which seemed strange to his ears at that moment. He didn't understand. His heavy footsteps sounded and his grip loosened on his bag. It fell to the floor. "W-why are you…?" He stopped before her and failed to understand why she was upset.

"I-it's just sad to see those things, don't you think?" She tried to smile but it was extremely forced.

_What a… crybaby. _He couldn't help but think. He stood there for a long time as he watched her tears flow, every one that fell a stab to his chest. He didn't like seeing her like this. It settled uncomfortably with him, burning into the back of his retina. He hesitantly raised his hands to her shoulders, patting them gently, totally dumbfounded as to what else to do.

She apologized, another thing he failed to understand. He watched silently, all the while patting her as comfortingly as he could possibly manage. His eyes never left her. "Matsuya-san, it'll be alright... everything is fine." He reassured with a smile, though she did not look up to see it. She placed one hand over her mouth and the other reached out to clench onto his uniform shirt to keep her balance. At that moment, he was at a loss of what to say and could only stand there as she got it all out of her system.

Though he was shocked both from the paramedics showing up at his house to Sanae's reaction, his own emotions were too conflicted to figure out how he should be acting. He felt like neither were really happening. He was standing in the middle of a sickening dream, two things that shouldn't have happened just… happening. Everything just happened.

"I-I'll walk you home." He offered silently and she nodded in agreement, unable to find words. He took her by the shoulders—caring less about his bag, about the house—and guided her back to where they came from.

"Um… just try to lead the way, okay?" She took big breaths and nodded, apologizing all the way. She wiped the tears from her face and the flow seemed to be less strong. Akio dared to glance back down at her and his heart fell to his feet. Red nose, tired eyes, blotchy cheeks… but it was ridiculously, incredibly cute. He smiled just a bit, his brows knitted into a furrow.

"F-feeling better?"

She nodded. "I'm really sorry about your grandfather." She went on. He smiled sadly.

"Thanks. It'll be alright though… I mean, this has happened before." He wasn't there to experience though, last time. He barely remembered it, too. It was years ago and he was naïve enough to think it'd never happen again and dismissed it to the back of his mind.

She murmured something incoherent, but otherwise didn't start back up again with her sobs. He realized how close they were. Akio tried his best to ignore the blush on his cheeks and lessened his grip on her a bit since she was able to control herself much more efficiently. The rest of the way back was relatively quiet.

He stood at the gate to her house as she made her way in. She was just a block or so down, after all. He raised his hand quietly as she glanced back at him in an unsaid but understood parting gesture.

Akio glanced at the shutters and he could have sworn he saw them shift.

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><p>The next day, school rolled back around and chaos continued to ensue. The festival was that coming Saturday and it felt like so little time was left. The Theatre Club was allowed to practice on the school stage to work with lighting and things were finally falling together. The play started to look like… well, a play.<p>

Akio watched proudly during his break as the props were wheeled out and costumes started to show up. When asked, he'd give his personal opinion on costume colors, prop placement, and even drop in to give a suggestion on the delivery of a line. Everything was going very smoothly.

Classes passed by like a breeze and him and the guys found another place to hang out. It had been a while since all of them were able to sit and enjoy each other's company since the scramble for the festival came. Even a simple thing like sitting at lunch, like now, was a relief to Akio. Stunning amber eyes scanned the scene, a strange sense of nostalgia taking him.

"Hey, Furukawa-kun, where's your bento?" One of the guys asked. Akio shifted against the wall he was leaning on, his arm resting on his propped-up knee and his other leg outstretched.

"Eh, didn't take one today. Why?" He returned casually.

The guys exchanged glances. "Maybe because you _never _go without lunch?"

Akio smirked sheepishly, unsure of what to say.

"Hey, Akio-kun, are things alright? I heard something bad happened last night in your neighborhood. There were ambulances there." Yusuke inquired through a basketball he was tossing back and forth with himself.

He cursed small towns and how quickly news spread. The copper-haired junior found himself avoiding his friend's eyes.

"Akio-kun?" A surge of guilt settled in the pit of his stomach as he felt Yusuke's eyes on him, awaiting some sort of explanation. When it didn't come after a long stretch of time, he could practically hear Yusuke shrug. With a shuffle of feet, the azure-haired boy stood from the gym's wall. Akio busied his eyes with a running figure in the distance. Akio realized then that he hadn't spoken to Yusuke since just before he went on to perform. Not only that, but he had been avoiding him that day, even to the extent of leaving home earlier than normal.

He felt as though this was payback in his own silent way because he wanted nothing more to just tell his friend what had happened, but his throat just wouldn't allow him to speak. His first thoughts were that Yusuke didn't share with him, so why should he share back? He realized how cruel the exchange was, how it settled with him awkwardly, how it was something he just normally didn't _do._ Because right now, he knew he was hurting his friend, and that was the worst feeling in the world. He thought desperately to find a way to take it back, but what was done was done.

He dared to look to his right at the rest of the sitting guys and saw Yusuke's back turned as he walked away towards the main building. His shoulders drooped and his brows knitted into a furrow. His fist bunched into a clench and he forced his eyes away from the scene. _Yusuke, you coward._

Things were quiet for the rest of lunch and it wasn't so nostalgic anymore.

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><p>With the week passing by so quickly, he needed time to think alone whenever he had a moment to himself. He became used to a routine after a few days of his grandfather being in the hospital. Despite the horrible situation that it was, he was thankful to have a place to go and just sit that wasn't school and just relax. His grandmother called a lot from the hospital and gave updates because she didn't want him to come down there and interrupt his school work. She often called in the morning, when he got home, and just a bit before lights out.<p>

He opened the fridge and struggled to find himself something to eat. He settled with a plain breakfast of steamed rice and miso soup. Just as he was piling himself a bed of white rice, the phone rang and he put his bowl down and stood to take the phone.

"Hello?" He said the second the speaker hit his ear. There was a pause on the other line. He repeated himself, finding a seat next to the phone as he crossed his legs. He could hear shuffling, but still no voice came.

Akio was ready to hang up when a small line of words were said, just barely near a whisper. "Is my mother there?" He stiffened and knew the voice wasn't his grandmother's.

"Mom?" He said back, just as weakly. There was a pause on the line and his fist went to clench at his pant leg. "No, grandma isn't here right now," he muttered on. A sudden edge of dizziness slipped into his vision, blotches of black threatening at the corners of his eyes. His knuckles were white when his vision stumbled down to the floor. His teeth fastened his bottom lip into a tight lock.

"Oh, I see…" Her reply came meekly on the other line. He realized his hand was shaking when he glancing at the opposite end of the phone. "Do you have a number that I can reach her by?"

He grunted softly, his brows pulling into an angry furrow. He allowed there to be a significant silence before he sighed in defeat. He rested the phone in between his ear and shoulder and scooted over the phonebook. He flipped the pages furiously, blindly. He even tore one of the thin papers in his flurry.

When he found the town's public services page, his eyes scanned sloppily for the number of the hospital. He recited the number and without waiting for conformation if she had gotten it down, he hung up the phone. He sat there for a long time, staring at the receiver with thoughtful eyes, forgetting about his newly planted breakfast.

A long, drawn sigh escaping his lips and he cursed this bittersweet week.

He registered that there was someone at the door, but his busy mind had missed the first ring and pair of knocks. The buzzer went off again.

He sighed again and stood, trying to tame his still messy hair from sleep with a quick comb of his fingers. His stepped over the house shoes, his feet patting against the cool tile. He reached for the lock on the door and clicked it off in one swift motion before pulling it open lazily.

"Good morning, Furukawa-kun!" He almost disintegrated into thin air with embarrassment when he was greeted by Sanae. He became rigid immediately, the door slipping closed just a bit as he tried to cover his disheveled self.

"G-good morning, M-Matsuya-san!" He said a bit dramatically in his stupor. She smiled and tilted her head. "What are you doing here! I-I mean, not to be rude!" It wasn't time for school, was it? What was she doing up here so early?

"I heard from a stray birdy that you didn't have lunch for this week! And I know things have been rough for you, so I made you a bento!" She presented the fabric-covered box with a grand smile.

_Matsuya-san? Making _me _a bento? _He was utterly speechless and a mad blush invaded his cheeks. He slid open the door just a fraction more, his previous stiffness gone. "Uh… thanks, Matsuya-san, you really didn't have to…" A hand went to the back of his unruly head.

"I insist!" She glanced over him and his eye twitched. He felt like he was being measured up, for some reason. He laughed nervously and leaned against the doorway. "Did I just wake you up?" Her brows furrowed and a hand went to her mouth in what looked like worry. She looked like she was about to…

"N-no, you didn't wake me up early! I was just having breakfast! Your timing is impeccable!" She cleared up almost immediately after his words and mounds of relief settled on him. He couldn't stand having her cry again.

"Why don't you come in?" He smiled, wondering what the hell had gotten into him. The place looked like crap, but he couldn't just let her stand out there. And plus, school didn't start until an hour. Her smile returned and she took the offer pleasantly. He cracked the door just enough to let her in. Then his ego kicked in. _Holy crap, I have her in my house. I have her in my house. I have her in my house…_

He stood at the door a while longer as he watched her remove her shoes and step onto the boarded floor, her eyes wandering all the while. She dropped her bag by the shoes, as well as the two bentos she had. He followed after her as she made her way to where he was getting ready to eat his breakfast. He stepped past her with a smile. "Go ahead and have a seat." He motioned to the knee-high table. "Would you like anything?"

"I'll just have whatever you're having, Furukawa-kun, please don't go out of your way." He wanted to fly away at her extremely modest words. They made him so light by dusting away any previous heaviness that settled within him, a warm feeling.

He settled with getting another set of plates and a cup. He also brought a pot of tea with him. He was embarrassed at the simplicity of the meal he had prepared, but she didn't seem to mind at all. He stood at his end of the table as she thanked him for the meal happily. Akio could only smile meekly in return as she began at the meal.

Akio looked down at his own serving. He shoveled at his rice with his chop sticks, unable to find his appetite. The speed of the morning was definitely overwhelming. Things had changed gears at least three times from pleasant to not-so-pleasant to amazing in the span of ten minutes. He forced himself a few bites, either way, out of habit. His grandmother wouldn't let him leave the table without it, if she was here.

"You have a very comfortable home here!" She commented after a bit of silence.

He chuckled, finding it wasn't too homey at the moment. "Thanks. We haven't had guests over for a while, so it's nice to hear it still has that touch!" He sipped at his tea and let his stunning amber eyes inspect his surroundings.

"Oh, why is that?"

Akio found himself smirking as he thought over past experiences. "My grandparents used to get embarrassing whenever I had friends over, is all. They brought out baby pictures and ridiculous stuff like that. So I usually go out or hang at someone else's place." He reached over to grab a toothpick from the center of the table, popping it into his mouth. The side of his hand went to slid away his half-eaten plate.

"That sounds like fun." She commented with a small smile. His eyes drew to her at the sudden drop in her voice. For a second, he was afraid that she had begun to brew up tears again from nowhere when the phone rang. He was reluctant to answer it but recalled that he was still yet to receive his call from his grandmother.

With a quick apology, he sighed and walked over to the receiver, sitting cross-legged next to it as he picked up the phone.

"Hello?" He greeted softly. The sigh he was holding let loose as he recognized the voice on the other line, sure enough, as his grandmother. The sensation of relief quickly disappeared when he caught onto her tone of voice, broken and struggling. Immediately he feared the worst, and he had a right to.

"I'm so sorry, Akio-kun, but he's looking very bad…"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Wow, it has been a while, hasn't it? I can't even begin to tell you what's happened to me since the last time I update, but I'm in college now! I've actually had this chapter written since I had chapter 6 out. I was just browsing some of my old works and found this and reread it, finished this up, and here we are. I'd very much like to continue with it, and thank you for your patience so far. We're back!

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><p>With an almost soundless clasp, Akio hung up the phone slowly and cleared his throat. He could feel Sanae's eyes scrutinize him, a knot long raised in his throat, choking him. He had spoken in the most hushed tone he knew, so of course it looked suspicious. He feared for the unavoidable questions and did what he knew would steer him clear of them entirely.<p>

"I need to get ready, make yourself comfortable, okay?" He muttered quickly with a forced smile as he rose and waved once towards her, not even allowing her to stutter a single syllable. He could just see the heart-jerking glisten at the corner of her eyes and rued having to return to her crying. It was amazing how she could shed tears for people she barely knew and he hoped that this just wasn't one of those times. She didn't deserve to be disheartened by his own misfortunes, or anyone's, at that matter.

"Are you okay, Furukawa-kun?" She inquired quietly as he returned shortly after. He was spared the bittersweet sight of her tears when he returning. Instead, she was quite hushed, as if constantly contemplating something, no doubt it having to do with him. He tried to seem as natural as possible.

"Yeah, it's nothing I can't handle, really." He off-handedly offered, as if it wasn't a big deal. He had to give some credit to his acting skills. He was moderately pretty solid in covering up his inner turmoil.

"W-well, if you ever need anything, please come and ask me," Sanae said. As he looked across his shoulder to her; she showed little signs of jest. His brows pulled up as her honest brown eyes went to look into his. She gave a grand smile, the small action releasing the tensions in his shoulders.

"I'll… hold ya to that… thanks." The boy meekly returned as he returned his attention to face front.

An over exaggerated air of enthusiasm settled over Akio for the remainder of breakfast. He made sure not to let the air of conversation drop to the hopelessness he was feeling, lest he see those tears from his guest once again. The rate at which he chatted with her and went on and on seemed a bit strange to him, but never did her eyes seem to fall as he talked on. He wanted to keep her as distracted from _him _at all possible while keeping her preoccupied with other things.

They left his house a half hour later, his mouth still running animatedly as they exited the front gates. She commented occasionally, but otherwise seemed preoccupied with his efforts, if not thoughtful.

"Hey, don't you think it's just nice out? Man, I can run in this weather for hours. Maybe I'll go hang out with those kids afterschool, it's been a while since I've seen them, thanks to Theatre Club. That sounded kinda bad, didn't it? I didn't mean it like that. I mean, by saying Theatre Club is distracting from my life or something. I guess I can take one day off out of the week… days like these are awesome, yeah?" He turned his eyes to her with a smile as he threw his bag to hang over his shoulder.

She eyed him curiously, her expression strangely unreadable to him.

His smile hesitated before fading just slightly, his shoulders drooping noticeably. He waited a stagnant moment longer until he realized that she wouldn't say anything. Had it been like this since the phone call? Akio had been pretty busy spewing out any thought that crossed his mind. "Um… Matsuya-san?"

"Hm?" She perked up from the train of her thoughts, seemingly surprised that she had been addressed.

He shoved a hand into his pocket and drew his amber gaze away from her, his smile completely slipping away. "What are you thinking about?"

The clatter of their footsteps up the slope was all that was audible for the longest time.

"I may have just met you a few days ago… but I feel like I know a lot about you. Mainly because I feel like I'm seeing a side of you that I'm positive you don't show anyone else, mainly because of your predicament. And that side is that you handle stress and worry very different from anyone I've ever known. You try so hard to keep up your act even when you're not standing on the stage," she returned softly, her tone unknown to him.

He didn't reply to her all the way up until they were at the school ten minutes later when he said goodbye to her.

He forgot to take his bento that Sanae had made for him that day with him. He knew it was with her and he pondered tracking her down for it, as well as to apologize for his attitude that morning. But for some reason, his nerve failed him and he was unable to summon his usual charismatic self to face her at all that day.

A pit of regret formed in his stomach in place of the lunch he would have eaten. Akio wasn't hungry, anyway.

He hadn't spoken with Yusuke for a few days. He was growing distant from him and it was unavoidable. He was a coward for not attempting to amend the situation, but when had he ever been strong to begin with? His father always told him he was nothing but a boy. He was growing, but he was yet to be the man he wanted to. He was just an actor. Always acting the part he wished he could fill.

Home was quiet. All he ever looked to was the phone calls from his grandmother, but even those, he dreaded. The news only seemed to get worse and worse.

Akio prepared himself simple breakfasts and dinners for the next few days. The doctors had suggested that his grandmother return home and get good rest, so he tried his absolute best to make her meals whenever she was home. At least out of all of this, he was becoming more than a back alley cook.

He remembered that the last time this had happened, his clever grandfather had returned by this time. It was a day before the festival and there showed no sign in change of the new pace that his life had slid to a near halt to.

"Stop!"

The whole crew glanced to the director, his eyes pensive as they relaxed on the set. Akio's brows furrowed over his amber eyes, his shoulders drooping as he lowered the fake melon that he held over his head.

"Furukawa-san, you missed your line," the director continued as he went to press his glasses father onto the bridge of his nose, the gesture frustrated.

Akio sighed and went to place the melon onto the ground, kneeling his weight forward onto it thoughtfully. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"That's the third time you've said that. We have minimal practice time until the performance, take a ten minute break and we'll start from the top of act two."

With that, the boys sighed and dispersed to the backstage dressing room. Akio huffed and went to sit at the front of the stage, his legs dangling off. He shuffled a water bottle between his grasp and thought over his lines. It wasn't just that he didn't know his lines; he just couldn't deliver them the way he wanted to, so they just didn't come out.

When they had gotten the rest of the acts to the level of performance that they wanted, the dress rehearsal for the Theater Club ended and everyone headed their separate ways, excited for their progress. Akio received a few pats on the back and something that resembled looks of sympathy. He smirked to try and assure them that he'd be fine by the time that it mattered.

Akio was surprised to see Sanae, of all people, waiting along the sunset-bathed wall of the gym parallel from the locker room. He hesitated in his steps, glancing around to see few that she could have been waiting for. His heart skipped a beat at the suddenness of emotions that overtook him. He approached her, his legs moving on their own accord.

She smiled warmly at him and he could have sworn his legs would have failed him if he hadn't been thinking any less clearly. "Matsuya-san, what're you doing out here this late? You're not usually here at this time, are you?"

"We had our studio to set up for our live cooking show tomorrow for Cooking Club... were you busy with the Theater Club's play? I heard you will be performing Shakespeare."

He had completely forgotten that she was in the Cooking Club. "Ah… yeah."

Sanae hummed in response, going to eye him curiously. "Furukawa-kun?"

He swallowed and glanced away, leaning against the patch of wall next to her. He let his bag from his shoulder drop to the ground. There was no escaping this, and quite frankly, he didn't want to avoid her anymore. He was probably worrying her enough as it was. "Yeah?" He urged from her after a pool of silence stretched between her last words, his voice hushed and his eyes downcast.

"You are a very strong person."

He fumbled and lost his words, unsure of what to say or do other than stare ahead, dumbfounded. He saw a repeat of this morning play back in his head and he wanted to kick himself. He was just running away from his problems, a habit he had adapted only recently.

When he finally gathered himself to turn his head towards her, she had turned her face away, swearing he saw the hint of a blush coloring her cheeks. "I mean… if I was in your situation, I wouldn't know what to do. I've never really had the fear of losing anyone before, and I'm afraid that when I do, I'll just collapse and shut down." The last of her voice pinched up and a sense of dread flooded into him. A shiver shot down his spine and for a moment all he could think of was _cold. Cold everywhere, chilling, terrible._

"Sanae—" he started, cursing himself with the fury of a thousand suns for letting her first name slip from his stupid mouth. She turned to him, her watery eyes widening at him. It was his turn to look away and have his cheeks aflame. He was so stupid! "—I m-meant Matsuya-san... sorry," he corrected quickly.

"It's… fine."

He spoke slowly to make sure he didn't mess up like that again. "I wanted to… apologize for this morning. And… in general. I mean… for being such an ass to you even though I know you're trying to help." She didn't seem to respond immediately, so he went on unsurely. "I should really be thanking you for putting up with me. You didn't deserve to be with me that night and have to see that or worry yourself with it or anything." Akio carried on. "You aren't the only person I should be apologizing to… I've left the guys hanging and Yusuke and the Theater Club and I know I'm handling it so immaturely that I make myself mad and now I don't know what to do, so I'm just spilling this stuff out to you even though I just said you didn't deserve it and I'm an idiot," he finished with his head down.

"You're not an idiot…" she murmured in turn. "And... I did mean it when I said it was fine."

"Well, you have to say that. You're so kind and nice that—"

"N-no," she interrupted once again, much to his confusion, before continuing on. "I mean. I don't mind if you call me Sanae."

Akio stared after her, unregistering to the words she said.

She was blushing as she glanced away, soaking up the sun on her skin like such a radiant flower, he once again found himself pondering whether she was real or not.

"Sanae," he said softly, her head dropping just a bit. "Then... it's only fair if you can call me Akio."

Wordlessly, the girl nodded, the back of her hand going to press to her eyes as her head remained bowed.

He stood wordlessly with her until the sun went down. He knew she was crying the whole time.


End file.
